Kill or be Killed ON HIATUS
by Ms. Belikov
Summary: ALL VAMPIRE! In the City of Sins, there's a deadly turf war going on. As leader of The Guardians, Rose is used to being the one who calls the shots. But when a Master Vampire throws her into a world of passion and heat, she is anything but prepared. A/U.
1. Chapter 1: Don't think twice

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV:<strong>

The music pounded loud to the ominous beat of Roisin Murphy's "Ramalama." I sat at the desk, drumming my fingers against the freshly polished, lemony-scented mahogany wood. The carving on it was beautiful, the designs intricate. It had been a gift from my father on my seventeenth birthday, after I'd survived my transition. Nobody had believed I would have lived through it, not at that young age. But I beat the odds and, four-hundred and three years later, I was still cheating death.

"Here's your tokens, biotch." Mia dropped a small red velvet bag on the desk.

"You killed the Strigoi?" I asked as I drew on the string and opened the bag, then I dumped the contents in my hand and grinned. Teeth. Thirty-two of them. All bloody and some cracked.

"Done." Mia dusted off her hands and frowned. "But I did get some blood on this top, which I'm so not happy about."

My head cocked to the side. "That is cute. You're a dumbass for wearing something like that to a slaying."

My second in command simply shrugged, plopped down in the chair opposite from me, and crossed her legs. I couldn't help but notice her killer beige pumps. The girl had eternal style, and no matter what century we were in, she always had what was in.

"I guess a 'Good Job!' is in order—"

There was a low hiss that sliced through the air and I caught the flying stake merely two inches from the skin over my heart. I laughed, flipped the silver weapon around, and gracefully sent it right back at her.

Mia caught it and sheathed it in her leather holster. "Thanks, hussy. I appreciate the appreciation."

"As you should. You are aware that I do not give it out lightly." I said.

She rolled her eyes and smiled, flashing long, ivory fangs. "I'm hungry. You wanna go out for a bite to eat?"

"Not yet," I slipped the ceremonial dagger out of the drawer. The rubies on the handle sparkled beautifully in the light. Carelessly, I threw the blade up in the air and watched it twirl a few times before catching it in my palm and walking over to Mia. "Molnija mark." I explained.

Wordlessly, she turned around and slipped off her shirt. Thousands upon thousands of scars formed her back, symbolizing how many Strigoi—human slayers possessed by Master vampires who made it their sole purpose to take out rival vampires for ultimate power—she'd staked over the course of her lifetime. Her pale skin was covered in the tiny X lightning bolts, but not nearly as consumed as mine was. The Molnija marks, unseen to the human eye, blanketed my back, stretched around my chest and throat, and even reached the tops of my thighs.

Eminem's Recovery album spilled into the room as I stuck the dagger into her skin and made a perfect victory mark right next to the last one she'd earned just two days ago. It must have stung like a bitch, but Mia took the pain without flinching or even hissing.

Silver was the only mineral that could kill a vampire or a Strigoi if met with the flesh of the heart, and it was also the only mineral that could mar a vampires rapid healing skin. That's why when I pulled the dagger away from Mia's back, the crimson blood dried right up, but the scar stayed. And it forever would.

"All done," I said, tossing the sacred weapon back in the drawer. "Ready to eat?"

* * *

><p>Downtown at Fremont street, Mia and I maneuvered through the sea of humans, heading for Roma's Steakhouse.<p>

I not so gently shoulder shoved a dancing woman with dozens of glow in the dark bracelets and necklaces. One thing you didn't do was get in my way.

The fallen woman shot me a dirty look.

Just for kicks and giggles, I grinned widely, pointedly flashing my fangs.

The woman's eyes bulged, she stumbled backwards, screaming. If anyone heard her, they didn't pay attention. There was a lot of crazies out here in Las Vegas, especially on Fremont street, so it wasn't as if she stood out among the massive crowd.

"God, I hated homo sapiens," I muttered as we entered the restaurant.

"Ouch, that hurts." Mason put a hand over his heart as he opened the red rope and let us by. "Don't lie, Hathaway. You know you love me."

"Last time I checked, you were a _hetero _sapien." Mia said.

"Riiiiiiight." Mason said. "Still, it stings to know you loathe my species."

"Loathe would be putting it lightly."

As our only human ally—and friend—of the human race led us to the VIP area in the back, he leaned over to me and bared his neck. "Do I look extra tasty tonight, Hathaway?" he sang. "I exfoliated my throat and smoothed some lotion on to make my skin extra soft just for you."

I rolled my eyes and scooted in the booth. "I'm not biting you, Mase."

"Come onnnnnnnn!" he cried dramatically. "I'm getting older each day. If you don't turn me soon, you're going to have to spend eternity with my old, wrinkly ass."

Again, with the eye roll. "You're only twenty-two, you idiot. And I'm not changing you now or ever. Now go get us our drinks, _waiter._ I've got business to take care of."

"We're not done with this discussion," with that being said, Mason stalked off.

"Does he ever make you sad?" Mia asked.

"Huh?"

"Don't play stupid with me," she said. "I see the way you look at him. You're sad that he won't be around forever, but you also refuse to turn him."

"All humans die. It's a natural part of life." I shrugged. "Doesn't bother me."

Mia scoffed and stood up. "Fine. I'll just bite him myself—"

In a flash, I was over to her, crushing her petite arm in my vice grip. "Dont. Touch. Him."

Mia's eyes widened. "See! I knew it! You pretend like you don't give a shit about anything, but you care for him! You want to protect him!"

"Sit down." I gritted my teeth until my molars burned.

"I wasn't going to do it. I just wanted to get a reaction out of you. And I certainly did." Mia's smile was full of victory and satisfaction. "Besides, like I would stick my fangs in that throat? Redheads aren't my type. I like 'em blond and dumb as a box of rocks."

Absentmindedly, I chuckled. There was a sorrow inside of me that I was not familiar with. Nor very comfortable with. It did sadden me that Mason was going to be gone in a short sixty to seventy years—a lifetime for a human, but gone in the blink of an eye for a vampire.

No matter how angry I was at the thought of death taking him, there was no possible way I'd contemplate the thought of turning him. It sickened me to even think so. And it wasn't because vampires were allergic to human blood and could have serious reactions, it was because I could never imagine stealing someone's mortality and ability to conceive children and grow old, even if, like Mason, they were very willing candidates and gladly gave out their vein.

Minutes later, I heard the steady beat of Mason's heart and the slosh of liquid as he ran our drinks back to our table. "The usual," he said, sliding the Gin and Tonic's over the smooth black granite.

"Thanks," We murmured in unison.

"So, what'll you two ladies have tonight?" Mason asked, pulling out a small pad of paper and a pen. "Just so you know Hathaway, there's a special on my throat—"

"Those jokes never get old, do they?" I said, rolling my eyes.

"Not a joke, Hathaway. Not a joke." he said seriously.

A small movement in the corner of my eye caught my full attention. Immediately, I snapped into action, unsheathing my stake and raising it in the air. But I relaxed a moment later and eased back into the comfortable booth, smiling. "You can come out now, ladies. Your cover has been blown."

"Shit!" someone cursed.

Lissa, Tasha, Sydney, and Meredith emerged from the shadows of the restaurant, disappointment etched on their beautiful, slightly sinister faces.

"You should know by now that you can never successfully sneak up on me," I announced. "The outcome is never good. It usually ends in death."

Planting one palm on the table, Lissa, my best friend, gracefully leaped over the table and landed in the spot next to me, all catlike. She pecked me on the cheek before downing half of my drink. "Hey, bestie," she sang cheerfully.

Tasha and Meredith muttered curses under their breaths as they kicked down a few hundred dollar bills. My best friend gave a fangful grin as she picked up the green bills and stuffed them into the pocket of her black skinny jeans.

"I hate my life," Sydney whined when Lissa stuck out her palm and made the woman pay up for the bet she'd lost.

"Don't be such a sourpuss. Nothing's fair in the world of money." Lissa told her smugly.

"I'm just going to bring you all steaks. Rare. You lady vampires look like you're in the mood for some meat." Mason dashed behind the kitchens metal doors.

"Anyways..." I said. "Now that we're done with that important matter—"

Tasha set a bloody, soggy brown paper bag down on the table. "There's my payment for the week."

One sniff of the bitter aroma in the air told me the crimson liquid was from a Strigoi's body. Reaching forward, I opened the bag and peeked inside. A cut off male genitalia.

"The balls are just a bonus," she said, folding her arms. "I hope you like it. You were in my mind the whole time I killed him."

Well, if that wasn't a compliment, I wasn't sure what was. I grimaced. "What did this bastard do?"

"Caught him in the woods on my way to the Ancient Land," The Guardian said. "He was fondling a little girl, his sister I assumed, and I was going to leave him alone, but then I realized he was about to bite her."

I leaned forward, intrigued to hear what the soulless monster's punishment was.

"I severed his head, tore off his limbs, staked him, then threw everything in the fire and watched it burn to ash." Tasha finished.

"Not everything, obviously," Meredith muttered with disgust, looking at the body party in the brown paper bag. The Guardian, who I'd recruited over seventy-five years ago during a raid in Florence, Italy, was a regal beauty. She carried herself with an elegance woman around the world wished to have. And her looks were stunning. Long, auburn hair. Forest-green eyes. Cupids bow lips. The vampires body was just as impeccable, too. Small breasts. Lean limbs. And at six feet tall, her legs were like a mile long.

"Had to bring evidence of the kill back to the leader, didn't I." Tasha smiled at me. "Ms. Princess is a freak about that kind of stuff."

I disdainfully snorted. "Better to be safe than sorry. You'll get the Molnija mark when we get back to the penthouse, okay?"

"Mmmm-hmmm. Okay." Tasha said, applying a fresh coat of pink lip gloss. Clearly, she was done with the business. I'd lost her attention.

Sydney fingered the cross on her neck as panic flooded her face. "I, uh, I had another vision last night."

Fear spiked in me, but I refused to let it show, masking my face with a neutral expression. As a fourth generation vampire, leader of The Guardians, and oldest member of my small group, it was my job to keep control of these kind of situations, even when they scared the living hell out of me.

Lissa grabbed my hand and gave me a squeeze of reassurance.

"Explain." I said simply. Straightforwardness was one of my best qualities.

"War is coming," Sydney mumbled, golden-brown eyes glassy. She put her hand up, as if illustrating a vivid painting. "I can see it. There is so much blood and pain. So much...I can feel it. My heart feels like it's going to explode from all the torment."

"What else do you see, Sydney?" I prompted. "I need you to tell me everything."

"Turf war. It's going to be more vicious than any of us anticipated. The fight will come when we least expect it, and we will not be prepared." Blood tears filled her eyes and streaked her cheeks. "We will lose unless we accept the hand that is offered to us."

Sydney snapped out the subconscious trance with a gasp.

"That hand that is offered to us? What the fuck does that mean?" Mia asked. "Ugh. Riddles hurt my brain."

"What brain?" Lissa tipped off my Gin and Tonic.

A million thoughts and predictions raced through my mind, none of them good. My heart beat loud as a drum in my chest. I had only three words that could explain the situation and what was to come of The Guardians future, "Holy fucking shit."

* * *

><p>"You report to me!" I boomed, picking up the bottle of Jack and flinging it across the room. The glass shattered into a million pieces, leaving a dent the size of a basketball in the wall. "I call the fucking shots here! Understand? I don't want you running off by yourself on a suicide mission."<p>

Meredith stood there, hands crossed behind her back. She was the perfect picture of calm. "With all do respect, Rose, your strategies obviously aren't working."

In the blink of an eye, I was standing in front of the vampire, my fingers wrapped around her slender, pale throat. "Are you questioning my leadership?"

"No." she gasped for air, but refused to back down. "I'm just saying I could do your job better. I'd rule with an iron fist."

I smiled menacingly. "Hey, Meredith. Guess what else is iron?"

Her eyes bulged.

I shoved the sharp edge through her gut, only inches away from her heart. "The leg of my desk chair."

I released my grip on her and watched her fall. Leaning down, I yanked the weapon out of her body with a grunt. The wound healed before my eyes. "Cross me again, and you _really_ won't like it, Mer. Got it, girl?"

The Guardian climbed to her feet, shooting daggers my way.

"Damn," Sarcasm dripped from my voice. "You got your blood on my favorite rug. What a shame. You'll have to buy me a new one. Oh, and that chair's not looking so good either. It needs to be replaced." I patted her back. "Thanks so much."

I focused my attention back on The Guardians. "Anyone else feel the need to add anything?"

Mia, Tasha, and Sydney gulped and shook their heads. They knew their place. You never screwed with a fourth generation vampire when they were furious, unless you wanted to die.

Of course, Lissa was oblivious to this fact. Actually, no. She just abused and took advantage of her spot as my best friend. One of these days I was going to lose patience with her, though, and I hoped she learned to stop pushing my buttons before I snapped and did something I'd later regret.

"Just think about it, Rose," My best friend stood up and paced around the room. "We may be some of the greatest fighters—"

"I like to think of ourselves as warriors." Mia interjected. "It sounds way cooler and more badass."

"—but if we go as a group, no matter how discreet and careful we are, we're bound to be noticed in a warehouse crawling with those parasites. I think Meredith's idea is great."

I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to punch her in the face.

Miss Know-It-All continued on, "If two—maybe three, at most—of us head in, we can sneak into the area undetected and scope it out. See what they're up to. Learn their ways. And then..."

"We ambush them!" Tasha made some awesome sound affects, guns and explosions filled the room.

"You play too many video games." Sydney said, sipping on the peppered blood in her martini glass. The source of the life sustaining nutrient was vampire, but anonymous. She reached her fingers in the glass, pulled out the stalk of celery, and began chewing on the vegetable.

"It's true, though. Can't you see?" Tasha exclaimed, jumping out of her seat. She'd always been extremely passionate about matters she believed in. And ending the life of every single Strigoi that walked the earth, was definitely something she believed in. The vampire was not only unusually beautiful, she had brains, she loved to use them, and she was the best strategist.

God, I really did have the best team in the world.

"You do have a point," I chewed my cheek, thinking. "Okay, I'll head in alone."

"_Alone?_" Lissa exclaimed.

"Yep. And there's no discussing it." I said levelly. "I'm the most experienced. I'm the greatest fighter here. I know what I'm doing. And, I'm going right now. If I catch any of you following me, I will bitch slap you back to your native countries."

* * *

><p>I hid behind an old car, watching the abandoned warehouse on Fourth street like a hawk. So far, the surveillance of the Strigoi headquarters had been uneventful and boring. I'd even yawned a few times. Checking my watch for the billionth time, I found what I had suspected: only two minutes had passed since the last time I had checked it.<p>

The only thing I'd spotted all night were two Strigoi. But no matter how great my urge was to whip out my samurai swords and decapitate those soulless bastards, I didn't dare move from my hiding spot. I wasn't stupid. I couldn't risk exposing myself in such a dangerous area.

Looking up to the sky, I realized with alarm, that it had turned a deep violet blue. Dawn was arriving. I needed to get out of there soon. Preferably before the sun came out and burned me to a crisp. Ugh, that allergy could be so annoying and inconvenient at times.

I held my wrist up to my mouth and spoke into the tiny radio, "I'm comin' home. My skin is starting to sting."

A buzz came over the line, then some munching, like the person was eating a bag of chips. "Aiiiigghhttt." Lissa said. "Hey, did you borrow my purple blouse? You know the one with the sparkles. My favorite one. Yeah, you know what I'm taking about. Anyways, I could have sworn I saw you wearing it last Tuesday. But it's not in my closet, and not to point fingers or anything—"

A blurring movement in the corner of my eye made me freeze and instinctively press the mute button on my watch, silencing my best friends voice. Every hair on the back of my neck stood up. Someone was there. And automatically, I knew they weren't exactly my friend. Breathing in my nose, the scent briefly threw me off course.

The aroma was wonderful and masculine, crisp and intoxicating.

But I also knew whoever it was wasn't human.

And that had me pulling out my lucky silver stake and tackling whoever it was to the ground.

Unfortunately, the man was fast. _Really_fast. Frighteningly fast.

I was flipped over and pressed against the dirt in an instant. An incredible weight slapped on me, pushing the air out of my lungs. "What are you doing here?" A velvet, deep voice growled. There was a faint Russian accent. He shoved my face into the ground when I didn't answer. I tasted dirt and rocks.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

It was a Master vampire. If the supernatural strength and bionic speed wasn't a dead give away, then the startling power and dark aura to him was.

Yep. I was dead. This was one pickle I couldn't get out of. Death had finally got me.

But that didn't mean I wasn't going out with a bang.

Using everything in me, I braced my hands against the ground and pushed up. The Master vampire flew off of me and landed not a hundred feet from the old car.

I had less than a second to jump to my feet, plant my boots into the earth, and pull out a throwing star. With a flick of my wrist, I sent the weapon flying through the air. The Master vampire dodged the blade by doing an amazing back flip.

Anger flared in my veins. Four more stars were thrown.

The third blade sliced through his impeccable black suit and stuck in his shoulder. And though the weapon was made out of silver, unfortunately, it would only leave a scar on his skin. Silver needed to pierce the flesh of a vampires heart in order to be lethal.

He bared his fangs and hissed as he yanked the thing out.

_My God._

He was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. Shoulder-length brown hair. Menacing, bottomless eyes. Immaculate bone structure. Sensuous lips. His height was staggering, too. I estimated around six-foot-seven or six-foot-eight.

"Twenty-five thousand dollar suit. And you ruined it." The Master vampire said, letting the throwing star fall to the dirt. He met my eyes and my blood turned to ice. "You owe me." he said, then charged me.

The fight was brutal. Punches were thrown. Kicks were kicked. Blood spilled. Bones were broken. Injuries healed instantly, only to be caused and experienced again.

By some unbelievable amount of luck, I somehow managed to get the Master vampire in a submissive hold and press a stake to his chest.

"You're the reason I hate men," I tightened my grip around the silver and went to plunge the weapon into his heart.

"Rosemarie Hathaway." he said.

I froze. "How do you know my name?" I growled.

"Does it matter?" A sadistic smile twisted his perfect lips. "I'm Dimitri Belikov. And I know who murdered your parents."

I was so stunned that I forgot how to breathe.

"The sun is rising!" Using my moment of distraction to his advantage, Dimitri disappeared into thin air. One second he was there, and the next he wasn't.

"Shit!" I screamed, feeling the surface layers of my skin singe right off my body.

* * *

><p>"That's why I always use SPF 1 billion, limited Vampire edition. It works phenomenally for me." Tasha chortled at her own joke, flipping through the pages of Vogue magazine.<p>

"You look like a lobster, Rose." Mia chimed in. "So not attractive."

"It'll heal." I peeled off a sheet of dead skin, making my second in command gag.

"It's not that bad," I snapped. "Man the fuck up." That was my philosophy. If one couldn't handle the life of being a Guardian, then they needed to pack their shit up and get the hell out of my life. I didn't spend centuries searching the world for a team of Nancy's. I only had soldiers.

"Sorry." Mia said immediately, sensing my terrible mood.

Lissa's brows crashed down, the wheels in her jade-green eyes turning. "What happened out there, Rose?"

"I told you already." I said. "I got hit by a car, had to erase the family of humans memories, and fix the dent. That's why it took me so long to get home, and also why, I look like like a rotisserie chicken right now."

It had been over a day since what happened at the Strigoi headquarters and I was itching for a fight. Blessedly, the sun was just beginning to set. I was in love with the night.

"Huh." was all she said, tone disbelieving. Yeah, well, I could care less if she bought the story or not. I was tired. And hungry.

"Can someone please go get me a bag? I don't care which type. Just get me one. Now."

As Sydney left to go retrieve what I asked for, I wondered why I had lied to my team. It was something I never did. Trust and honesty are what The Guardians were all about. Maybe I didn't want to worry them. Maybe I didn't want to make a big thing out of nothing. Who cares if I'd just battled a Master vampire? One that had been walking the earth for more than a thousand years? It was no big deal.

Or maybe, I was trying to protect Dimitri.

No.

Of course not.

That couldn't be it.

Sydney set the glass full of crimson down in front of me and my fangs throbbed from hunger. I picked it up and started chugging it. The blood created a wonderful full feeling in my belly. I could feel my injuries healing straightaway, the pain fading.

Suddenly, my adrenaline spiked and instinct twisted in my chest. "Check the window," I commanded. "I think we have visitors."

"How did they get past the gates?" Meredith asked.

Mia peeked through the blinds and cursed. "Ayyyee Papi! We got some hotties. Who ordered a team of strippers?"

Everyone was crowding around the windows the instant Mia was done talking, all shoving the other around in an attempt to get a good look.

A growl escaped my lips. "Those aren't strippers." I stared at Dimitri and the menacing men standing beside him. "They're vampires. And they're here to fight."


	2. Chapter 2: Never back down

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Kill or be Killed...<strong>

_"That's why I always use SPF 1 billion, limited Vampire edition. It works phenomenally for me." Tasha chortled at her own joke, flipping through the pages of Vogue magazine._

_"You look like a lobster, Rose." Mia chimed in. "So not attractive."_

_"It'll heal." I peeled off a sheet of dead skin, making my second in command gag._

_"It's not that bad," I snapped. "Man the fuck up." That was my philosophy. If one couldn't handle the life of being a Guardian, then they needed to pack their shit up and get the hell out of my life. I didn't spend centuries searching the world for a team of Nancy's. I only had soldiers._

_"Sorry." Mia said immediately, sensing my terrible mood._

_Lissa's brows crashed down, the wheels in her jade-green eyes turning. "What happened out there, Rose?"_

_"I told you already." I said. "I got hit by a car, had to erase the family of humans memories, and fix the dent. That's why it took me so long to get home, and also why, I look like like a rotisserie chicken right now."_

_It had been over a day since what happened at the Strigoi headquarters and I was itching for a fight. Blessedly, the sun was just beginning to set. I was in love with the night._

_"Huh." was all she said, tone disbelieving. Yeah, well, I could care less if she bought the story or not. I was tired. And hungry._

_"Can someone please go get me a bag? I don't care which type. Just get me one. Now."_

_As Sydney left to go retrieve what I asked for, I wondered why I had lied to my team. It was something I never did. Trust and honesty are what The Guardians were all about. Maybe I didn't want to worry them. Maybe I didn't want to make a big thing out of nothing. Who cares if I'd just battled a Master vampire? One that had been walking the earth for more than a thousand years? It was no big deal._

_Or maybe, I was trying to protect Dimitri._

_No._

_Of course not._

_That couldn't be it._

_Sydney set the glass full of crimson down in front of me and my fangs throbbed from hunger. I picked it up and started chugging it. The blood created a wonderful full feeling in my belly. I could feel my injuries healing straightaway, the pain fading._

_Suddenly, my adrenaline spiked and instinct twisted in my chest. "Check the window," I commanded. "I think we have visitors."_

_"How did they get past the gates?" Meredith asked._

_Mia peeked through the blinds and cursed. "Ayyyee Papi! We got some hotties. Who ordered a team of strippers?"_

_Everyone was crowding around the windows the instant Mia was done talking, all shoving the other around in an attempt to get a good look._

_A growl escaped my lips. "Those aren't strippers." I stared at Dimitri and the menacing men standing beside him. "They're vampires. And they're here to fight."_

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV:<br>**

Battle lust flooded the faces of the Guardians, and though sheer panic coursed through my body, I couldn't help but feel a profound sense of pride for my warriors—even the bitchy, whiny ones.

This is what I had worked so hard to build, to create. The structure and system that surrounded the Guardians was nearly unbreakable, and I had a feeling Dimitri and the fighters standing at his sides were going to give the walls a good test, see if they were built properly, check if the bricks tumbled easily.

I wished the Master vampire luck, because he sure as hell needed it.

It was unnecessary for me to tell my team what to do, because they each had their own ways. I was okay with them having their own fighting techniques, as long as they kicked some major ass and defeated the enemy.

"There's six of them out there, so we're evenly matched. You know the drill." I said, unsheathing a silver stake. The air was filled with low hisses as they did the same, drawing out their weapons.

Silver was lethal to both a vampire and a Strigoi, and in order for the mineral do its_ poof-you-to-ash_ job, it had to pierce the strongest organ of our kind—the heart. Though Strigoi were virtually human, having been drained of blood and filled with only a Master vampire's blood, their anatomy still operated in the same fashion as a vampire. Strigoi were immortal, fed off of other vampires, were allergic to the sun and silver, and had bionic hearing and speed. The only difference between a vampire and a Strigoi, was their sole purpose. Strigoi lived to please and obey their Master vampire, a minion to them, mindless. They lived and breathed for their Master vampire, doing whatever they were told, taking care of the dirty deeds. Which is why the Guardians needed to drive their species to extinction, or at the very least, shorten their numbers. Because like Dimitri, Master vampires could be evil bastards and send their Strigoi out to do some pretty sick shit to innocent people.

The Guardians spread out like a peacocks feather; graceful, beautiful, captivating. They disappeared into the shadows of the penthouse I'd purchased in 1908, watching and lurking above like cobras ready to strike.

To a humans eye, I would have been a blur, nothing but a breeze being passed in the air. But the incredibly, mind-baffling speed I used was natural to me, a part of me, the predator in me begging to be let out of her cage.

I whipped the door open and charged Dimitri at once. Wrapping my fingers around his thick throat, I slammed him to the ground and straddled his waist, struggling to keep control of his tremendous weight.

"If any of you fuckers try to sneak up on me, you will seriously regret it." I said without looking up at the surrounding, menacing male vampires.

One went to lung at me, but was stopped by Lissa. I spared a glance over my shoulder. The two skidded across the grass in a tangle of limbs. My best friend lifted her arm and struck the vampire with glowing ice-blue eyes and jet-black hair in his face so hard, his nose shattered on impact.

"Here, let me help you with that," Lissa said, gripping his nose and twisting, breaking it back in place. "Can't ruin that pretty face now, can we."

"Aw, you think I'm pretty." the vampire said. "That's real cute. Now, I know I'm _almost_ going to feel bad for doing this, especially since you're a lady." With a flick of his neck, he brought his head up and smashed it against Lissa's.

With a groan, she fell off him, dizzy and seeing stars.

That's when all hell broke loose.

In the blink of an eye, I jumped off Dimitri, came up behind the male vampire, and shoved the silver stake through his back. There was a little spark, and a pop, then he turned to ash, falling into a small pile of charcoal on the ground.

"Told you you were going to seriously regret it. Why don't men ever listen?" I said.

"Christian!" The Master vampire roared, shattering the windows of the penthouse, sending thousands of shards into the night sky. Dimitri's head lifted, and his eyes glowed red with anger the instant they landed on me. "You killed my brother. You are going to seriously regret that."

He claimed the distance between us and sunk his ivory fangs deep into my neck. I cried out in pain as he yanked his mouth away, leaving me with a viciously torn throat. There was blood everywhere. On my skin and clothes, his brown duster, my hair, all over his face. So much blood…

The Guardians dropped down from the roof of the penthouse, landing on the ground silently, gracefully.

"Son of a bitch!" Mia ran at Dimitri and shoved him with all her might. The Master vampire skidded like a rock across water along the length of my lawn, destroying everything in his path.

"You just messed with the wrong mother fuckin' white girl!" Mia screamed, and I had to laugh. That amusement soon turned to rage when I looked at the well attended and loved garden the Master vampire had plowed through.

"Goddamn it! You ruined my flowers!" I yelled at Dimitri, who launched into the air and descended on me. My head cracked against the sidewalk as his body landed on top of my own.

"You killed my brother." Dimitri said, raising a shard of glass he'd retrieved from the pile beside us.

"Tit for tat." I grinned challengingly up at him, waiting for the pain to strike me. He shoved the glass into my gut, and I was proud that I only grunted a little.

Turning my head, I checked on my troops. Tasha, Mia, and Sydney were holding their own, but Lissa and Meredith had been immobilized, their arms held behind their backs in vice grips by two gorgeous vampires. Hell, looking at Dimitri's team now, I realized that all of the males were eerily beautiful. Their bodies were amazing, as if chiseled and carved by the Roman Gods themselves. And their faces were otherworldly—masculine, stark, ruthless.

"I should take you as my Slave," Dimitri growled in my ear.

I barked out a laugh, astonished by his insult. "Fuck you."

"Please do," His lips curved into a cold smile.

Distantly, I was aware of our numbers dwindling. Sydney and Mia had been captured and knocked unconscious. Now, we had only one fighter, Tasha, against six male, multiple generation vampires. Yeah, Tasha was a brilliant fighter, but every girl had her limits. The odds weren't looking so good for the Guardians.

"What do you want from us?" I gritted my teeth, struggling to get out of his steel hold. Panic settled in my chest, heavy and constricting.

"I didn't come here to hurt you…" Dimitri said, voice surprisingly gentle and soft.

"Bullshit."

"I'm a lot of things, Rose, but a liar isn't one of them."

"Tell me what you want." I growled.

"Your help."

I laughed in a harsh burst. "You're funny, you know that? Truly, you are."

"My goal isn't to get you to laugh."

"You storm into my home. Trash my garden. Hurt my fighters." I said. "Oh, yeah, totally man. I will _so_ help you!"

That earned me a flat stare. "I'm giving you a chance to come to me willingly, or I can force you to. Either way, the outcome is the same."

"I'd rather get shot in the face than help you."

"Pavel." Dimitri called out, turning his head to the side. It caught the attention of a gorgeous tan vampire with thick, long black hair and amber eyes that illuminated gold in the night. His fangs protruded out of his full lips, too big to fit in his impeccable mouth. I shuddered when I met his feral gaze. He carried nearly as much power as Dimitri did, which meant he was pretty close to hitting Master status.

Shit. These vampires were stronger than I'd first assumed.

_Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

What kind of a leader was I? A horrible one. I'd just thrown my whole team into a snake pit. I should have had them run while we still had the chance, even though they'd most likely catch us anyway. But it wasn't as if I was used to this type of situation. The Guardians were rarely, if ever, defeated. Unfortunately, we were unprepared for this, and now we were neck deep in quick sand. There was no getting out unless we were pulled out. And the only ones who had the power to do that was the male vampires.

Yeah, we were pretty much dead.

The Master vampire said something in a different language. Russian, I believe. My God. It was the most incredible sound rolling off his tongue. A burning shot of adrenaline exploded in my veins and pooled in my abdomen. I couldn't stop the small moan that escaped my lips.

Dimitri's head snapped over, like he was surprised. He met my eyes, grinned, and leveled a lazy, sensual gaze on me.

He was still holding me, both of my hands easily pinned over my head in one of his, and that's when I realized how intimate are positions were. I could feel every solid inch of him pressed against me, his tremendous weight, the hard rope pressed against my inner thigh, and it was euphoric. Exhilarating, even. I wanted the Master vampire more than a drug attic wanted their next hit.

As Dimitri continued to address Pavel in his native Siberian tongue, never taking his eyes off my own, I found myself making little feral noises in the back of my throat and arching my back, pressing my breasts against his huge chest. The urge to rake my nails down his back and sink my fangs into his throat was nearly irresistible. With a blanket of pure, icy dread, I realized that I wanted to mark him as my own. To show other female vampires who he belonged to and what would happen to them if they dared to cross that line.

I wanted to take him as my Mate, for the rest of eternity.

I gritted my teeth, putting a stop to that insane train of thought. That just wasn't going to happen. Absolutely not.

Just as Dimitri was done speaking, Pavel advanced on Tasha, effortlessly taking her down to the ground.

"Oh, God." Just as realization settled in, the breath pushed out of me, as if someone has strangled my lungs. "No."

Tasha struggled with everything in her and used all of her strength to get away, but Pavel was too strong. The strength in him shocked Tasha to her core, and she froze, unable to move, paralyzed to the spot with sheer terror.

That didn't stop Pavel. He ripped her shirt down the middle, roughly shoved her bra up, revealing small breasts, and took one of her pale-pink nipples into his mouth.

No words in any dictionary could have described the way I felt in that moment. I couldn't breathe as I watched him savagely sink his teeth into her snow-white skin. A drop of crimson formed and gracefully slid down her ribs. Pavel licked the crimson trail up, savoring every last drop.

Nausea formed in the pit of my gut when Pavel unzipped his pants, then hers.

Tasha turned her head to the side, and stared at me with ice-blue eyes, glossed over with blood tears.

"I'm so sorry." I said, chin quaking. "I'm _so_ sorry."

"It's not your fault," Tasha said, wildly shaking her head. "Goddamn it, Rose. This isn't your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself."

Except, I couldn't do as she asked me. It was my fault. As the leader, I should have been more prepared. If I had been, none of this would have happened. Tasha wouldn't have been forced powerless, held against her will, and raped in front of six male vampires, who were intently watching the horrendous act about to go down.

Seeing her in such a helpless position made me think of the years of torture and abuse I'd had to suffer through at the hands of my uncle.

It had started out as an ordinary, so much like the countless others. I lived in a small village located in the remote forests of Italy with my family. Lissa and I, both fourteen at the time, had raced from day school to see who could get to their cottage first.

Unsurprisingly, I won. I was always the fastest. That still hadn't changed to this day.

"Ah, sister, you fool." I danced in victory, running in triumphant circles around an ancient tree. "You should know by now not to challenge the Mighty Greatness."

Lissa, the girl I'd known for as long as I could remember, my best friend, rolled her eyes and chucked a small stone at me. "You are full of yourself, sister. It's going to get the best of you one of these days. If anyone is the fool here, it is you, not I."

I held up my hand, silencing her. "Do you smell that?"

Her nose crinkled and she sniffed the air. "No, I believe I do not. Why, sister? What has troubled you?"

"Fire." I pointed in the distance as shock and dread filled every fiber of my being. "Strigoi. They are here. In the village."

"How did they get past the wards?" Lissa bunched the fabric of her purple gown into her hands and ran after me, fighting hard to keep up. "It is impossible."

"Evidently not, sister." I said, the panic and need to protect the people of my village making my voice breathless. "Wait." I spun around, grabbed my best friend by her fragile, slender shoulders. "Turn around. Run back to the towers. Warn the guards."

Lissa looked as scared as I felt on the inside. But a moment later, braveness filled her lime-green eyes and I felt a profound sense of pride and respect. "How dare you ask me of such a thing. I am not leaving you here to fend for yourself. You may not be my sister of blood, but you are the sister of my heart, and I will protect you until I take my last breath."

"Lissa, now it not the time to argue with me," I said, shaking her, hoping to confuse her a bit, overwhelm her. "People are dying all around us, can't you see? Look at the cottages, half of them are already burned to the ground, nothing but ash beside the growing number of dead bodies. And for our people who are alive..." As if on cue, there was a horrendous, blood-curdling scream followed by "Please! Please! Take me instead! Have mercy on my family!"

"But I cannot just leave you..." Lissa said, hanging on by a thread. Tears made her eyes sparkle and glossy. "You are my sister. We must stay together. I do not want to go out there alone...I am too afraid of what monsters the darkness and shadows of the night carry among them."

"There isn't much time," I urged. "You have to go now. They're coming."

My best friend stared at me for the longest time, glossy eyes filled with loss and regret, and then she turned around and ran away to never be the same again. She'd been robbed of her innocence that day and never got it back. Somehow, that seemed like the worst crime in the world.

I remember helping my neighbor extinguish the flames on his cottage by bringing him bucket after bucket full of water from the well, then I ran to my childhood home and threw open the door.

"Mother! Father!" I'd cried in relief, throwing myself into their arms and hugging them with everything in me. Janine and Ibrahim Mazur were the best fighters in our small village. They were the ones our people looked up to in time of need, when they were frightened or unsure of a decision to make. As the eldest transitioned vampires of the village, it was their duty to guide the younger ones, to push them down the right road.

My father's whole body went rigid, and a second later, my mothers did as well. I froze, more terrified than I had ever been in my short life. "What is it, father?" I asked in a small, pathetic voice.

"Shhh." he hissed, listening intently. As a vampire who hadn't gone through her transition yet, my senses were human; dull, weak, useless. So I waited for my parents supernatural, brilliant hearing to pick up something. Unfortunately, it did.

"Get into the cellar!" My parents rushed my uncle Victor, my father's stepbrother, and I towards the kitchen, all but shoving us down the creaky wooden stairs.

"But father..." I cried, my whole body shaking uncontrollably with fear.

"No buts." He said in a hushed tone, then crouched down and gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Stay down here. No matter what you hear. Do you understand? Stay. There."

The cellar's door slammed shut, and darkness ate the entire room up. That was the last time I had ever seen my parents alive.

Three days later, we emerged from the cellar, having heard not a single sound aside from our heaving breathing—the oxygen was running very low in the small enclosed room—in the past twenty-four hours.

The brutal sight that met my eyes forever changed me. It was a massacre, a slaughter. That was the only way I could describe it. Blood covered every inch of the living room, splattered on the lovely furniture and pale walls. The smell was even worse, it still churned my stomach to this day thinking about it.

At my feet, lay my parents dismembered, mutilated corpses. Both Janine and Ibrahim had been decapitated, their limbs savagely torn from their abdomens and thrown across the room. Only one Strigoi lay dead, undisturbed aside from the stake in its heart. This massacre was the work of a pack of Strigoi's, likely one of many who'd ambushed my village. Thing was, Strigoi were mindless, brain dead even, their only thought and purpose was to serve their Master. That meant the pack of Strigoi took orders from a Master vampire who ordered the entire slaying of my village. It took an incredibly Master vampire to control one Strigoi, let alone a whole pack of them. It was unheard of, but evidently not impossible.

I leaned over and dry heaved on my empty stomach.

Victor stared at me with cold, uncompassionate eyes. "Your mother and father are gone and will never come back. Get over it."

The years following had never been the same once Victor had full custody over me.

At first, it hadn't been so bad. There were just the extra long hugs and the inappropriate touches and creepy stares. But my uncle grew braver over time as he went undetected. He threatened to kill Lissa—the only person I had left on earth—if I opened my mouth, spilled his sick secrets. So I kept my lips tight together, kept my head high, and dealt with the abuse. A year before my early transition, on my sixteenth birthday, Victor had crept into my room while I was sleeping and crawled into bed with me. I remember the bitter smell of alcohol on his breath, the hot, sticky sweat on his meaty palms, the prickle of his beard rubbing against my chin and cheeks as he forced a sloppy kiss against my lips. It took everything I had to keep the bile down my throat.

Victor then shoved my nightgown up to my ribs and my underwear down to my ankles, and the rest I didn't have the stomach to think about.

From then on, every night, Victor would come into my room and climb in bed and commit the same horrendous act. The routine was something I never became familiar with, but I learned to deal with it, no matter how much I was dying on the inside. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that one day, when the world ended, I would die and float up onto heaven where I would see my parents, and Victor would go to hell where he belonged.

I snapped back into the present, and saw Tasha in the exact position I had been in all those centuries ago—rendered powerless, stripped of dignity, and forced to do something that would scar for the rest of time. Just as it had done with me. I would do anything—absolutely anything—to make sure she never had to endure what I had to, even if it meant helping Dimitri.

"STOP!" My scream of surrender made everyone still and look over. "Stop...please. I'll help you, okay? Just, please...let her go."

Nothing had actually been done to Tasha—thank God—but it had been pretty damn close. Dimitri ordered the vampire away immediately. Pavel buttoned up his jeans, then went to pull up hers.

"Get away from me!" Tasha hissed, savagely baring her fangs in warning.

Pavel pushed up from his arms and climbed to his feet with the grace of a predator.

A wash of relief hit me so hard, I sagged completely in the Master vampire's hold. He stood, then roughly grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet. Those dark, hypnotic eyes stared at me expectantly.

I looked over at Tasha, who was now standing. She pulled her jacket closer and hugged herself, like she was protecting her own body. Then her blue eyes snapped over to Pavel and she shot him a look full of such icy hatred and malice, it was a miracle she hadn't attacked him yet and clawed out those golden-amber eyes. She probably just didn't want to touch him, in fear of him violating her again.

"I need a shower," Tasha said, then promptly disappeared inside the penthouse, no doubt to scrub her skin raw with scalding hot water.

Thankfully, the other Guardians were beginning to wake. Mia and Sydney were shuffling to their feet, little moaning sounds easing out of their lips. The others had been released from the vice grips of the male vampires.

Still rattled and shaken, I said, "Come inside so we can discuss this."

* * *

><p>Lissa held a handful of charcoal-gray ashes in her hand. She let the grain fall from between her fingers onto an ancient scroll, making a perfect intricate design that symbolized the Spirit Goddess. The Spirit Goddess was Lissa's biological mother, who was worshiped and loved by the vampires of the Ancient Land for her healing abilities. Lissa possessed the same miraculous power, which had become increasingly stronger over the years as she'd practiced and perfected it. Even if I'd had to crack a few ribs in the process and be her experimental lab rat, I was impressed by how powerful she'd become.<p>

"What is she doing?" Dimitri asked, standing beside me. Well, towering was more like it.

"Shut up," I elbowed him hard in the groin area. He so deserved it. "She needs total and complete concentration in order for the ritual to be successful."

I sensed him behind me before I felt him. His incredible body pressed against my backside. I shivered when his hand drifted underneath my shirt, his blisteringly hot fingertips circling the skin of my hip bone."You know," he leaned down and whispered in my ear, his voice rich and thick with his accent. "I cannot figure out whether you are extremely brave or obliviously stupid challenging me like you are. I could tear you in half with my bare hands."

Reaching between are bodies, I cupped his package that overflowed my palm. The Master vampire growled, and his body hardened instantly at my touch, his size overwhelming even behind his expensive black silk slacks.

"Back the fuck up," I smiled wickedly, gave a rough squeeze and twisted. "I don't liked to be touched."

A groan of agony escaped Dimitri's mouth and he stumbled backwards, shocked and a little bit amused. That ought to teach him to keep his distance.

"She's growing weak, Rose." Meredith said urgently. "Look at her face."

She was right. Lissa's skin was a sickening shade of pale with an undertone of blue. Her eyes were dark and sunken in. She needed blood. Now. Without another thought, I punctured my skin and brought it to her lips. My best friend was in a subconscious trance, essentially unconscious, so it didn't register with her at first. But when her hunger took over, so did her predator side, and she latched onto my vein with an feral growl, grabbing my arm so tightly my bone nearly snapped in half.

Dazedly, I looked all around me, at the staring eyes. Oh, God. I felt a pang of embarrassment and shame. There was a certain intimacy to sharing blood, even if the relationship between the two people was just friendly, like mine and Lissa's.

I began to feel lightheaded, and I was faintly aware of Dimitri walking over and gently pulling me away from my best friend. Lissa looked healthier now, the color in her face and skin restored, but I knew it was only temporary. As the ritual progressed, she would grow weaker and weaker again.

The Master vampire pulled me over to the couch and eased me down into it. Funny, considering we'd been at each others throat merely an hour ago and now he was playing Mr. Nice Guy.

He crouched down, eyes studying my face. "Can I get you anything?" His voice was so deep, and I felt a rush of warmth in my abdomen.

"Fuck me?" I asked sluggishly, my tongue felt like a thousand pounds. It was the after affects of giving too much blood.

Dimitri gave a rich chuckle. "No."

"Fuck me hard?"

An even louder laugh, a belly one. This made me smile big because I got the impression he wasn't one to show his emotions often. "No."

"Let me fuck you?"

"How about a cookie?" Dimitri suggested.

I nodded wildly, my head lolling to the side. "_I loooooovvvveeee cooooookieeeeess_."

The Master vampire disappeared and evidently didn't have trouble finding the kitchen because he came back a moment later, holding out the chocolaty treat. He held it to my lips, and I greedily bit in.

"Careful," I said, around a mouthful. "I might take a finger off."

Amusement sparkled in his brown eyes.

"Hey," Something popped in my head, making me angry. "You owe me new windows. You ruined them all."

Dimitri wiped a crumb from my mouth, his fingertips sliding across my lips slowly. "I will certainly replace them, Rose. You have my word."

* * *

><p><strong>Lissa POV:<strong>

Everything around me was bright and white. I squinted at the beautiful light, trying to avoid the temptation. I was here to do a job, not prance and frolic around on the other side.

I found what I was looking for. The vampire named Christian. My God, was he incredible. My heart fluttered at the sight of him. His hair was the color of night and his eyes the color of the brightest ocean. He was built to perfection, muscular not bulky, and his pale skin matched the world, but everything else seemed out of place. Covered from head to toe in black clothes and intricate tattoos, his darkness stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Yoo-hoo." I called out impatiently, waving my arm to grab his attention. "We have to go now. You don't belong here. It's not your time yet." How unfortunate that was. The world could use one less pain in the ass like him.

"Where am I?" Christian looked out his glowing self, then at me. "Are you an angel?"

"Oh, Gosh. Stop being such a romantic. I'm blushing." Suddenly, I became serious. "You're lingering between planes, not quite in heaven but not yet gone from Earth. Your soul is confused right now, which is a good thing, otherwise I wouldn't be able to do this."

We were sucked from the passage to the other side and boot-kicked back into Earth. The whole trip back to reality was disorienting, but I was still able to focus on the pile of ash and watched with a fascination as it began to move, the pieces gluing back together, the molecules forming into real flesh and bones. A second later, Christian stood there, perfect and unharmed, just as he had been before Rose had staked him.

The first thing he did was look at me, and I swear to God, I saw a flash of love and complete devotion.

"You're very welcome." I smiled. And then I blacked out from exhaustion.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV:<strong>

"Whoa, girl." Christian caught Lissa's body before it fell to the floor, and cradled it with a surprising gentleness. He brought her over to the couch and sat beside me, resting her head against his lap, holding it with his broad hands. I couldn't help but notice how large his knuckles were, probably from centuries of brutal fighting.

"Don't worry. This always makes her come around." I slapped my best friend hard across the cheek. My palm stung from the impact. I could only imagine how her face felt.

"Hello, sleeping beauty." Christian said, lips twitching when Lissa's eyes snapped open and she glared at me with enough force to burn holes into my skull.

"I need to feed," Lissa declared, trying to sit up but Christian pushed her back down by her forehead. She turned her murderous glower on him. Thank God. I was sweating underneath all of that heat. "Can someone grab me a bag from the fridge?"

"Here. Don't worry about being gentle," Christian said, rolling up the sleeve of his black thermal and offering his wrist to her. "The harder the better. I like girls with a bite."

My best friend stared at him, shocked, while everyone in the room looked away uncomfortably, coughing and rubbing the backs of their necks.

"I'm not going to feed from you."

"Why not? My blood is warmer and fresher than that plastic shit. And I've been told I taste _really_ delicious." Christian winked.

A loud laugh brought everyone's attention to a corner of the room, where a man with thick, messy bronzed hair and emerald-green eyes stood. He wore nice dress slacks and a gray trench coat. God, I hate rich people, I thought, staring at the vampire with distaste. He seemed to stink of money. "Please." Lord, he had a velvety, smooth voice tinged with a Romanian accent that made chills dance up my spine. He chuckled again, the sound rich like hot caramel dripping from a spoon. "Don't let me interrupt. Continue. I insist."

"I don't want to bite you." Lissa said stubbornly.

"Think of it as a thank you. For saving my life." Christian said, leaning down and brushing his mouth against her ear. He said something so low none of us were able to hear. My best friends cheeks warmed, eyes sparkled, and she giggled with delight.

"Here, Love. Drink deep. Take as much as you want." He brought his wrist to her mouth, and I could have sworn I saw her drop a kiss to his skin a second before she sunk her teeth into him and took what he offered. When she moaned in pleasure, I averted my eyes to the ceiling and concentrated really hard on something else.

_Twinkle, twinkle, little star..._ I sang as loud as I could in my head, trying for a distraction. _How I wonder what you are._ _Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky..._

Dimitri watched me the whole time, and when he made an amused sound in the back of his throat, my head snapped over and I did that thing where you pretend to scratch your eyebrow while flipping someone off at the same time. Then I swiftly returned to my inward singing.

_B-I-N-G-O! B-I-N-G-O!_

* * *

><p>"How about this," I said, slamming my feet down on the desk. "I'll help you when you absolutely need it."<p>

We'd been discussing this alone in my office for the past two hours, and we'd done everything but settle on an agreement. Well, not everything. I eyed his package, then quickly looked away. The thing was, Dimitri and I were like two bulls in the same pin—we'd done nothing but bump heads. The Master vampire wanted the Guardians help—no he _needed_ our help. Aside from his group of vampire super heroes, we were the best fighters in the world. Well, the best fighters he'd ever come along. I took it as a huge compliment, even though it came from a complete arrogant asshole.

Rumor had it that there was a war coming. A Master vampire—I still wasn't a 100% sure it wasn't Dimitri, in spite of everything he'd tried to prove me he was innocent—was recruiting a mass army of Strigoi in an attempt to dominate the world. His goal was to wipe out any vampire who wouldn't surrender to him, and enslave those who did. Man, that guy seriously had power trip problems. Apparently, Dimitri was positive of what was coming and when it was coming: soon. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here, forcing me to help him. I didn't want to ask him how he got all of his information—it probably involved a lot of blood shed, broken bones, and dead Strigoi bodies. My stomach churned.

The Master vampire planted his fists on the polished mahogany desk, eyes blazing with barely concealed rage. "I don't make conditions. You play by my rules."

"Or else?" I challenged him. Something very stupid of me. No one ever crossed a Master vampire if you favored actually having a pulse.

His eyes flashed, and then a sinister smile twisted his lips, making my blood turn to ice. "I hear you have a human friend by the name of Mason Thomas Ashford." he said simply, the treat obvious in his voice.

My heart jumped into my throat. "You wouldn't dare," I said, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

"You are very protective of him. Why?"

"He's my friend. I protect him, as I would anyone of my Guardians."

"Are you in love with him?"

"No." I said a little too quickly, and Dimitri smiled like a man who hit the nail on the head.

"And I would assume you'd like him to say human?"

I growled barbarically. "I won't let you turn him into a vampire."

Dimitri leaned his hip against my desk, crossing his arms over his huge chest. "Who ever said vampire?"

In a micro second, I was out of my chair and advancing on him. But before I could wrap my hands around his throat like I'd planned, he'd flipped me around and slammed me against a near wall, immobilizing me with his body. "You don't want to do that," he whispered.

"If you make him a Strigoi, I will rip your head off with my bare hands and watch it burn in the sun." He was an all powerful Master vampire. He was one of very few who could make Strigoi. Of course, it took a sick bastard to do such a thing, make minions. But Dimitri, evidently, was a sick fuck.

"I just want to make sure we're on the same page," Dimitri pressed his nose into my hair and inhaled deeply, and I'd be damned, but my body reacted to him, readied itself for him. And I knew without a doubt he knew it. "We are on the same page, right, Roza?"

My senses seemed to be on vacation. I swallowed hard and nodded dazedly, wildly. My stomach, full with the cookies he'd fed me, turned into a bottomless, achy pit. I wanted his warm blood in my mouth, sliding down my throat, filling my belly with satisfaction.

"Good." Suddenly, he pulled away from me completely and my body groaned in protest. "My team and I will be here tomorrow at sunset. Be prepared to train."

I spun around, still dazed from his blistering touch that awakened such heat inside of me. My skin felt on fire. "Train? Why?"

"Because the Guardians techniques are lousy," he said, and I narrowed my eyes. How could I be so angry and so turned on at the same time? "We need to teach you how to fight properly. Erase everything you've ever learned and rebuild you into true warriors."

"Fuck you. I'm a fantastic fighter." I yelled, but the door already slammed shut. I ran over to the broken window, just in time to see Dimitri and his fighters disappear into the shadows of the forest. "You still owe me new windows! Don't forget it, you douche!"

The Master vampire smiled in amusement. I wasn't sure how I knew it—I couldn't seem him—I just did.

Damn, what had I gotten myself and the Guardians into?


	3. Chapter 3: Violence is always the answer

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to Richelle Mead.**

**The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Ms. Belikov. Please do not copy, reproduce, or translate without express written permission.**

* * *

><p><strong>Previously on Kill or be Killed…<strong>

_"How about this," I said, slamming my feet down on the desk. "I'll help you when you absolutely need it."_

_We'd been discussing this alone in my office for the past two hours, and we'd done everything but settle on an agreement. Well, not everything. I eyed his package, then quickly looked away. The thing was, Dimitri and I were like two bulls in the same pin—we'd done nothing but bump heads. The Master vampire wanted the Guardians help—no he needed our help. Aside from his group of vampire super heroes, we were the best fighters in the world. Well, the best fighters he'd ever come along. I took it as a huge compliment, even though it came from a complete arrogant asshole._

_Rumor had it that there was a war coming. A Master vampire—I still wasn't a 100% sure it wasn't Dimitri, in spite of everything he'd tried to prove me he was innocent—was recruiting a mass army of Strigoi in an attempt to dominate the world. His goal was to wipe out any vampire who wouldn't surrender to him, and enslave those who did. Man, that guy seriously had power trip problems. Apparently, Dimitri was positive of what was coming and when it was coming: soon. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here, forcing me to help him. I didn't want to ask him how he got all of his information—it probably involved a lot of blood shed, broken bones, and dead Strigoi bodies. My stomach churned._

_The Master vampire planted his fists on the polished mahogany desk, eyes blazing with barely concealed rage. "I don't make conditions. You play by my rules."_

_"Or else?" I challenged him. Something very stupid of me. No one ever crossed a Master vampire if you favored actually having a pulse._

_His eyes flashed, and then a sinister smile twisted his lips, making my blood turn to ice. "I hear you have a human friend by the name of Mason Thomas Ashford." he said simply, the treat obvious in his voice._

_My heart jumped into my throat. "You wouldn't dare," I said, suddenly finding it hard to breathe._

_"You are very protective of him. Why?"_

_"He's my friend. I protect him, as I would anyone of my Guardians."_

_"Are you in love with him?"_

_"No." I said a little too quickly, and Dimitri smiled like a man who hit the nail on the head._

_"And I would assume you'd like him to say human?"_

_I growled barbarically. "I won't let you turn him into a vampire."_

_Dimitri leaned his hip against my desk, crossing his arms over his huge chest. "Who ever said vampire?"_

_In a micro second, I was out of my chair and advancing on him. But before I could wrap my hands around his throat like I'd planned, he'd flipped me around and slammed me against a near wall, immobilizing me with his body. "You don't want to do that," he whispered._

_"If you make him a Strigoi, I will rip your head off with my bare hands and watch it burn in the sun." He was an all powerful Master vampire. He was one of very few who could make Strigoi. Of course, it took a sick bastard to do such a thing, make minions. But Dimitri, evidently, was a sick fuck._

_"I just want to make sure we're on the same page," Dimitri pressed his nose into my hair and inhaled deeply, and I'd be damned, but my body reacted to him, readied itself for him. And I knew without a doubt he knew it. "We are on the same page, right, Roza?"_

_My senses seemed to be on vacation. I swallowed hard and nodded dazedly, wildly. My stomach, full with the cookies he'd fed me, turned into a bottomless, achy pit. I wanted his warm blood in my mouth, sliding down my throat, filling my belly with satisfaction._

_"Good." Suddenly, he pulled away from me completely and my body groaned in protest. "My team and I will be here tomorrow at sunset. Be prepared to train."_

_I spun around, still dazed from his blistering touch that awakened such heat inside of me. My skin felt on fire. "Train? Why?"_

_"Because the Guardians techniques are lousy," he said, and I narrowed my eyes. How could I be so angry and so turned on at the same time? "We need to teach you how to fight properly. Erase everything you've ever learned and rebuild you into true warriors."_

_"Fuck you. I'm a fantastic fighter." I yelled, but the door already slammed shut. I ran over to the broken window, just in time to see Dimitri and his fighters disappear into the shadows of the forest. "You still owe me new windows! Don't forget it, you douche!"_

_The Master vampire smiled in amusement. I wasn't sure how I knew it—I couldn't seem him—I just did._

_Damn, what had I gotten myself and the Guardians into?_

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV:<strong>

"You cannot be serious," I groaned, hearing the consistent pounding on my door. "Go away!" It didn't help that I was growling and savagely baring my teeth, considering the person on the other side of the door was ignoring all of my warning signals. No one interrupted my beauty sleep unless they had a death wish.

Stuffing my head in the sea of read and white pillows on my bed, I squeezed my eyes shut and tried my best to go back to rest

Without warning, the door flung open and Dimitri walked in. I turned my head, my jaw snapping in full animal mode. But then I froze when I saw what he was wearing. Loose black track pants and a black tank top that clung to him like a second skin. His body was even more amazing than it was in his impeccable suits. His skin was a perfect golden-brown, exposing a series of intricate tattoos in an ancient language I didn't understand and some sort of tribal ink that had me peculiarly curious. His biceps were huge, perfectly muscled, and hard as marble. His chest and shoulders were like steel, incredibly powerful with graceful cords of muscle, straining the fabric of his shirt as he stalked over to my bed and planted fists on each side of my ribcage.

I couldn't help but recoil internally. I was so tiny compared to him, dwarfed and shadowed beneath his incredible body. However, I didn't let my fear show. We were both leaders. People looked up to us for guidance, relied on us for strength, expected us to shoulder their burdens and always have the answer to everything. We were here to do a job, not but heads like two bulls trapped in a pin. We could be civil with one another, and we would be.

"The sun set half an hour ago. Why aren't you ready, woman?" The Master vampire said, then swiftly flipped my bed over with one powerful surge.

Maybe civil just wasn't us.

As I landed smashed beneath the heavy load, I was right back to being hostile. With a snarl, I maneuvered my way out, stood up, and fought the urge to pick up the mattress and throw it out the damn window. It wouldn't have the dramatic affect I was going for anyways, considering the windows of my penthouse had been shattered.

"You didn't seriously just call me _woman_, did you?" I asked, incredulous.

Dimitri cocked his head and studied me thoroughly for a full moment, spending several seconds on each part of me: tangled hair, sleep-swollen mouth and eyes, lacy white spaghetti strap shirt, underwear, legs, toes. "Would little girl be more appropriate?"

I huffed, glaring at him. "It's called a name. That's what we use these days, in the year of 2011. My name is Rose. Try it out on your tongue. _Rose._ Come on, comrade. I know you can do it. _Rooooosssseeeee_. Man, someone needs to drag you into this century."

"You know, Ms. Hathaway, I can think of something more pleasant and enduring you can do with that pretty mouth instead of running it incessantly." he said, studying my lips with carnality and an animal need. His dark eyes glittered.

Uncalled for oral sex jokes now? _Really?_

I gaped, absolutely stunned. That was it. No one crossed that line.

"Listen, Dimitri…" I kicked a pillow aside and stood chest-to-chest with him. Well, sort of. He was _really_ tall. I had to crane my neck to look up at his face. "You may not like me, that's completely fine with me. The feeling is mutual. But when you're in my home, on my turf, I demand respect. And if you're not willing to give that to me, then you can get the fuck out of my life."

He stared at me for the longest time, not saying anything. The smile curving his lips was that of a predator, a hint of amusement. He was utterly motionless, menacing in his stillness.

I waited breathlessly, fear nearly suffocating me. I may be one of the greatest fighters, but Dimitri was the absolute best, one of the most powerful beings roaming the Earth. He'd been around much longer than I had, seen so much more, experienced so much more. If he wanted to, he could snap me in half like a toothpick and there wasn't a thing I could do about it.

I flinched when he lifted his hand and brushed his long fingers across my cheekbone, a delicate touch, soft as a feather, yet it had me trembling, the heat shooting all the way to my toes.

"American women can be so stubborn, but you, Ms. Hathaway, have to be the most obstinate one I have ever met." Dimitri said, voice sliding over me like hot silk. "Have no fret, though, you can be trained with the right methods."

And just like that, the lust trance I was under shattered. On impulse, I went to smack him, but of course he predicated my movements and caught my wrist mid-air. I went for the other one, and he caught it too.

"You arrogant bastard," I gritted my teeth.

"Get dressed. Everyone is already awaiting your arrival in the dining room." The Master vampire turned and headed for the door, apparently not worried that I'd pull a fast one and tackle him from behind, which sounded very tempting now that I thought about it.

"Oh, and Ms. Hathaway," Dimitri paused, hand curled around the door knob.

I made a little sound in the back of my throat, too impatient and annoyed and flustered to talk.

"I _do_ respect you," he told me, completely serious. I sensed the insincerity in his tone, and a second later, his mouth twitched. And then loud, taunting, mocking laughter erupted and filled the capacity of my room, enraging me.

With one last contemptuous smile thrown over his shoulder, he slammed the door shut.

* * *

><p><strong>Lissa POV: <strong>

I swore when the wand hit me in the nose, smearing mascara. With another swear, I ripped a Kleenex from the box and wiped the makeup away, getting even angrier when my attempts merely smeared it more, making it worst.

I had been like this throughout the whole night as I slept, and when I woke up, everything had only grown worse. I needed a really hard workout, one that put me into an exhausted sleep filled with the darkness of oblivion, instead of erotic images of Christian, the taste of his blood on my tongue, the feel of his broad, warm palms stroking my back gently as I fed.

Once the black smudges were cleaned up, I moisturized and powdered, smoothed on some blush, a touch of liner, and applied a generous amount of my favorite frost pink lip gloss.

It was hard to ignore the spasms and twitches, my ultrasensitive skin, my strung-out, restless legs. The nausea was constantly there. I'd attempted to force myself to vomit earlier, but nothing happened aside from a whole lot of dry heaving. It only made matters worse, most likely because I didn't have the stomach to eat or even think about food.

"Hey, Sunshine."

I jumped at the sound of that silky, ominous voice. I met ice-blue eyes through the reflection of the mirror, and it instantly sent thrilling chills from my head to my toes. "Will you quit calling me that?" I bristled, slightly annoyed.

Christian shook his head, mouth set in a grim line. "I'm afraid that's not possible. Why do you wear all that gunk on your face?"

Gunk? "It's called makeup," Geez. These guys were really old school, weren't they. "And I wear it because it makes me look pretty." I'd always felt plain without dolling my face up every morning, my skin too dull, the sensitive area beneath my eyes too puffy and dark.

A snort escaped his mouth, a bewildered and slightly amused sound. "You look a hell of lot better without it," he walked up to study my collection of perfume bottles, and I immediately tensed.

"Have you any manners?" I asked, brushing my long hair until it felt like golden silk. "I enjoy my personal space, so please, if you wouldn't mind taking a step back."

Christian ignored me, twirling my favorite bottle of Juicy Couture between his long, beautiful fingers. "And with it, you look fake, superficial," he said bluntly, truthfully. He lifted his eyes to mine. "I hate fake and superficial, Sunshine."

"Yeah, well," I swallowed hard, my mouth and throat suddenly super dry. "Nobody asked for your opinion."

"I love this scent," Christian said after bringing the bottle of Juicy to his nose and inhaling deeply. "Almost certainly because it reminds me of you."

"Okay, look, I just met you yesterday. Stop with the come-ons, will you? It's freaking me out." I walked out of the bathroom and snapped off the light, giving him my back.

"You lie to me."

Huge mistake. Never give your enemy your back. They won't hesitate in turning on you, which was exactly what Christian did.

With extraordinary speed, he gave a great big leap that reminded me of a jungle cat and pinned me against the wall. Both of his hands slid up my arms and braced against my shoulders, and one of his legs went between mine. I was completely immobilized by his incredible strength, absolutely furious because of the powerlessness.

"You coward," I worked my molars. "You wait until I turn around and then attack." If he would have fought me face-to-face, it would have been an even match. I would have had a fair chance. Christian and I were both fourth-generation vampires, meaning we were equally matched, in both strength and brains. If he hadn't pulled that surprise assault, I would have given him one hell of a fight.

I struggled to get out of his hold, and he struggled to keep me down. I felt little satisfaction in knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep me down forever.

"What the fuck is happening to me?" Christian growled, all pretenses of friendliness gone. He was all animal, purely cruel and unrelenting.

I knew exactly what he meant by that question immediately. I had been asking myself the same thing ever since last night, when I'd traveled to the other side and brought him back to life. There had been this sickness in my body and mind ever since, an endless feeling of exhaustion and weakness.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully, trying to ignore the feel of his blistering hot, hard body crushed against mine. It was hard to deny my attraction for him, but we couldn't have been different. If I was summer, he was winter. A harsh, deadly freezing winter.

"You don't know?" he exploded. "Bloody hell! You did this to me, and you don't know! Un-_fucking_-believable!"

My fury boiled with each word and went through the roof by the time he was done yelling at me. "I brought you back to life! I believe a thank you is in order. Actually, I take that back. I believe you should get on your knees, kiss my feet, and thank the heavens that I was ever born. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here right now. Your ashes would have been spread wherever your brother decided would be appropriate, and eventually you'd be forgotten, nothing but a distant memory. So, yeah, you're _very_ welcome!" I was breathless, desperately drawing air into my lungs. I needed to calm down before I experienced a heart attack.

"Grateful? I should be grateful?" Christian laughed bitterly. "Do you realize the magnitude of what you are asking me?"

"Do you realize the hell I had to go through to bring your pain in the ass back?" I asked. "I am ill, incredibly weak, and my vision is terrible. It will take months for me to get back to my usual strength. I could have let you die, I _should _have let you die. But I didn't."

Christian breathed deeply, rested his head against my shoulder, as if he was suddenly tired. He then did something that shocked me even more: He released me completely, giving me my power back, but his hands remained loosely on my body, like he was seeking comfort.

It was hard not to be fooled. Any second he could reach up and break my neck.

"I feel like the old me really is dead. I don't know. It's hard to explain." Christian said. "I keep seeing your face in my head, it's filled to the maximum capacity with images of your delicate face, your enormous green eyes, your perfect bow lips, your body, your scent." he whispered hoarsly. "And then I hear your voice, but I am aware that you're not talking; your mouth does not move. And I realize that it's not you talking, but in fact, your thoughts. I am able to read everything you're thinking. Why is this? Explain to me, please. I am so confused. I don't like being confused."

I reached out spiritually and got a good read on his aura, and gasped audibly, the air vacuumed from my lungs. "We're bonded."

* * *

><p>Bond-mates were a legend, unheard of. A myth, as many people believed. Before my birth mothers ultimate demise, she had been incredibly powerful. One of a kind. She had been immortal and invincible, protected and worshiped by vampires of the Ancient land. She had held the power of life and death at her fingertips. She took lives and often gave them back, but it was when she became sick with power that led to her fall into an irreversible black hole, succumbing to insanity. My mother had escaped and ran away only to never be heard from again.<p>

Her bond-mate, Julio, had committed suicide quickly thereafter, following a heartbreaking journey in which he searched years for his missing half. But her mind had been to far gone, too dark, that he hadn't been able to see into, gain no insight to where she was.

Several years later, she had been pronounced dead by law.

My point was, bond-mates indeed existed. They were very rare, but possible. And since I had brought him back to life, our souls were bound to one another. Christian and I needed each other like the air we breathed; with out the other, we would die.

I had never felt sicker in my life. This was like a bad Etch-a-Sketch doodle that you couldn't erase, couldn't shake it up and make it all go away.

"I have never brought anyone back to life before," I told Christian. It had been like this for the past twenty minutes, and he still was hesitant to believe me—he didn't want to believe me. Hey, I didn't want to believe myself either. But it was a cold hard fact, and we needed to accept it, swallow all of our doubts and embrace the future of our destiny.

"It was my first time," I explained, sitting down on my bed. The comforter was a mix of citron and fuscia silk; my two favorite colors in the entire world. "I have been working on my powers for years, and have become increasingly stronger as the time had past, but I have never done a spell that strong before. I've only healed things, never brought anything back to life. Not even something so small as an animal."

"So I was your experimental guinea pig?" he asked. "You just figured, 'Hey, what the hell? Why not give it a shot?'"

I narrowed my eyes at him. I like to think of myself as a patient person, but my tolerance with him was wearing very, very thin. Did he believe I was anymore happy about the situation that had been unexpectedly thrown on us than he was? No. I hated it just as much, if not more.

"You were dead, you dumbass." The curse word rolled off my tongue weirdly. I never uttered a bad word. When I was a child my mother had always told me a pretty woman doesn't have a nasty mouth. I'd followed that rule diligently throughout my long life, but the man in front of me was seriously pushing my buttons. I was so done with being nice and polite.

"What did you have to lose?" I demanded reasonably. "That's right. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. My fate, on the other hand, was a different story. I was doing something I had never done before, sacrificing everything, including my very own life for you. Nobody knew what was going to happen to me. Rose begged me not to go through with it, for fear of me going insane like my mother did, but I did it anyways. You want to know why?"

I didn't wait for him to answer.

"Because you didn't deserve to die the way you did, so abruptly. You deserved another chance at life, and I gave you just that. You can stay mad at me all you want, deny what we now share, but no matter what you say, no matter what you do to me, I do not my regret decision. If I could go back into time, I wouldn't change a damn thing."

And with that being said, I raised my chin and held my head up proudly. I was no longer afraid when I looked into his smoky gaze, but rather, proud of myself for what I did. The emotions I saw flashing in his eyes shocked every fiber of my being. Admiration. Amazement. Devotion. And the most powerful of all: Respect.

Christian walked over and my body immediately went rigid, still exceedingly uncomfortable in his close proximity.

"I will not harm you, Sunshine. You have my word. There is no reason to be afraid of me."

Maybe it was the softness of his unusually deep voice, or the seemingly sincere note to it, or maybe the vulnerable expression on his cruelly handsome face, but I found myself believing what he said. Trusting him, even. Which was so incredibly stupid of me. But that was how I felt. I couldn't change that, nor did I want to.

He leaned down in front of me, scooted slightly in between my knees, and grabbed both of my hands in his large warms. His skin was hot, soft, and rough from centuries of fighting.

"You are a commendable woman, worthy of so much praise for what you did for me. And I apologize that it took me so long to realize the gift that you have granted me." Christian paused, as if racking his brain for the right words. "I'm not going to thank you, for those words do not describe the magnitude of which I feel. All I can say, Lissa, is that I owe my life to you."

Blood tears welled in my eyes and matted my eyelashes. I couldn't help it. I'm a very emotional woman. I nodded my head wildly, unable to speak with the burning lump in my throat.

Christian bent forward slowly, hesitantly, and kissed one of my tears away. It glistened crimson on his full, sensual mouth when he pulled back and met my glossy gaze. "So, how does this whole bond thing work, Sunshine?"

It took me a few moments to gather myself and when I spoke my voice was raw and scratchy, like I'd swallowed a bucket of sand. "I am not entirely sure," I said. "It's more of a learn-as-you-go process. My mother and her bond-mate were together for several decades before disaster got the best of them, and from what I am aware, their golden years had never been solidly set. And what I mean by that is they were always adjusting to one another's abilities, always learning to adapt to new ones. When they'd believed they knew everything about their bond and the gifts it harvests, it would change. They never got used to the bond, is what I mean. Jesus, I am repeating myself, aren't I?"

"Yeah, but I love to watch the way your mouth moves when you talk, so I do not mind."

My cheeks warm.

"When did you realize we were bonded?" he asked.

"I studied your aura," When his eyes widened, I said, "Yes, I can study aura's. I have many spirtual abilities. Anyways…I knew the moment I saw your aura we were bonded. You have a rim of gold around your colors, just the faintest glow, but it's there, and will grow brighter and sturdier the longer you are around me."

Christian stared at me, eyes fixed on my face, and I had never felt so heard before. Had never had someone listened so intently, like they really cared about the words that came from my mouth. It felt nice, that was all.

"Gold is the color of spirit, of vitality and life and spirituality. And as far as I am concerned, we are the only two people on earth who carry the color within our souls."

"Which makes us very, very special."

I shot him a dry look. "It's not a joke."

Christian held his hands up in surrender, and I found myself smiling.

"Boy," I let my body fall back and land on the softness of my bed, suddenly feeling exhausted and a tad bit overwhelmed. "This is going to take some getting used to."

The bed bounced as he dove in beside me. "I'm cool with that."

I turned my head to the side, stared at his beautifully chiseled face. "You are?"

"Yep," Christian's eyes remained on the ceiling, studying the mural of Cinderella and her carriage Meredith had painted last Christmas for me. The girl was an artistic genius, and she knew my love of fairytales and princesses. "It's not as if we have a choice. There's no getting out of our situation. So what other choice do we have other an to accept it? Besides…" he shrugged. "If I want to, I can creep into your mind and get a peak of you in the shower everyday. What could possibly be better than that little benefit?"

I rolled my eyes and snorted. Great. Now I was going to have change and wash myself with the lights off.

* * *

><p><strong>Pavel <strong>**POV:**

I watched her from afar, unreservedly mesmerized by the beauty she held, both inside and out. That long wild raven hair cascaded down her back like a cape, landing just above her full bottom, accentuating her tiny waist. And those eyes. They were magnificent, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. A brilliant shade of blue, enormous and innocent on her classic-boned face. A man could drown in them. Stare into them for the rest of eternity.

The instant Tasha stood up from the dining room chair, I knew I had to do something. I wasn't sure what. But I simply was unable to leave things as they were. For some unknown reason, I felt a burning, all consuming need to explain myself to her, to tell her why I'd done what I had to her.

Jesus. I was such a fucking sick bastard.

I followed her down a narrow corridor and up a flight of stairs at a generous distance. I was careful to be silent, not wanting to alarm or alert her. She entered her living quarters, and I had a brief glimpse of the inside. In spite of myself, I felt a curious warmth fill me, the smallest flicker of amusement.

Tasha certainly loved unicorns. Her room was covered in them, from the duvet on her bed, to the lamps on her white carved nightstand and the snow globes and figurines placed orderly on the pink shelves flocking her canopied bed.

I would have to get her one. But where did one get a unicorn? Maybe she would like a pony, or a white horse. No. That was too much. Or was it not enough? I had no clue. Maybe I could carve her one, build it from my own bare hands. Yes. She would like that. The gift would hold more meaning and value if I made it myself.

But what if she didn't want anything that I had put my hands on? It wasn't as if I could blame her. Not after what I had done to her last night.

My hunger rose as I approached the door of her living quarters, the heady scent of lilac and gardenia drifting from her skin and room filling my nostrils. I inhaled deeply, drawing her into my lungs, my body.

Reaching out, I curled my fingers around the baby-blue door knob, twisted, and gave a gentle push, revealing a thousand unicorns, big and small, and Tasha at her closet, pulling a yellow sweater over her head. Unsurprisingly, there was a cartoon unicorn designed on the front. The mystical animal was smiling cheerfully, its purple eyes sparkling. A long stream of rainbow hair went all the way up the front of the sweater and twirled its colorful self around her left arm.

"Tasha," I said, her name coming out of my mouth harsher and louder than I'd intended.

Her head snapped up, and the instant she laid eyes on me, she screamed. In a flash, I was in front of her, sliding one arm around her waist and clamping my hand over her mouth. "Shhh." I hissed. "I won't hurt you."

This only seemed to terrify her more. Tears gathered on her dark lashes, gleaming like rubies under the dim glow of the—surprise, surprise—unicorn nightlight plugged into the outlet beside her bed.

Her tiny body began to struggle in the inescapable prison of my arms, and I had no clue what to do. On one had, I wanted to comfort her, show her that I would never hurt her again, even if ordered by my lord, Dimitri. On the other, she was beginning to enrage and annoy me with her thrashing. Why was she unable to understand that I wasn't going to cause her harm! If I had desired to, I would have already.

"Listen to me," I whispered. "If you don't scream, I will let you go. Nod once if you understand."

Tasha nodded.

The second I released my hold on her, she screamed as loud as her lungs would allow without exploding. I lunged for her when she tried to run out of the room, and managed to catch her just a few feet past the door.

I dragged Tasha back screaming and kicking into her living quarters, kicked the door shut with my boot, and roughly pulled her to her feet by her slender shoulders. Teeth sunk into my skin when I tried to push my palm against her mouth.

"Shut the fuck up!" I growled, violently shaking her.

Tasha whimpered and went rigid in my arms, so terrified that she went into a paralyzed state. "P-p-p…please don't hurt me."

Something in my chest ached. "I will not hurt you, woman." I said softly, not liking how I felt when I was around her—vulnerable, defenseless in her presence. Emotions flooded my body and brain, the feeling of them so heavy, so human, so unbelievably foreign. I hated it, feeling overwhelmed, like a tiger trapped in a cage, away from its home, its love; the wild. The wild was so much easier, tolerable, unlike being in this room with Tasha. Trapped. Caged. Cornered. My freedom taken away.

"W-w-why are you doing this to me?" Tasha's chin quivered uncontrollably. "What did I do to deserve this? My leader agreed to help your people, and we are. I'm doing everything that is asked of me. Why?...Why you?"

I stared at her, silent. "I will leave you alone," I told her.

"I don't believe you,"

"Look at me." I growled, a command, not a request. She'd turned her head to the side, refusing to make eye contact.

"Look at me, Tasha. _Look __at __me_."

The vampire obeyed, in fear of what I would do to her if she didn't listen. Shame filled every bone of my body, making me feel two inches tall. I reached out slowly, ran my finger along her fragile jaw. She flinched and whimpered at the contact, and I ripped my hand back.

"I, uh, I am sorry." It took great effort on my part to get those words out of me, most likely because I had never apologized before in my entire life. And I'd been on the earth for a significant amount of time. "Truly, I am. Very, very sorry. Sorry for what happened to you last night. Sorry that I caused you agony and scared you. You should never be scared in your own home, and I took that simple thing away from you when I had absolutely no right…so, yeah, um. I'm really sorry. I wish I could go back and change it, but I can't."

Last night I had been ordered by Dimitri to scare and panic Tasha into submission, merely for shock value so the leader of the Guardians would have no choice but to surrender and agree to aid us in the war against the Strigoi. There had been no command to go all the way through the act with Tasha, and I wouldn't have if I'd been told to, even if it meant betraying my lord. That wasn't something I would force on a woman, and I was surprised and a bit disgusted by how good of an act I had pulled last night. Everyone had believed I was going through with it, including Dimitri, which is why he sharply ordered me to get off of the woman.

"I won't touch you ever again," I said. "Please, I beg of you, do not be afraid of me. I will not go near you, talk to you, or bother you. So do not worry, as I am no longer a problem of yours."

I studied at her striking face a moment longer, memorizing every one of her delicate features and implanting them into my brain, because I knew I would never again look her straight in the face. I refused to put her through that kind of anguish again. Then I turned on my heel, walked out of Tasha's room, and quietly shut the door behind me.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV: <strong>

"You mind not eating _all_ of the food in my fridge?" I asked, annoyed. "You two have nearly cleared it out."

"Not a chance," Eddie mumbled around a mouthful of bacon and scrambled eggs. "I need meat in the morning or else I turn into a beast."

"What he said." Adrian said, chugging OJ straight from the carton.

Meet Eddie Castile and Adrian Ivashkov. Both third-generation vampires born in Romania during the early 1700's. Abandoned by their mothers at birth and left to die, they had miraculously been discovered by a poor old lady walking to her home. The two had grown up together at the orphanage, become inseparable best friends, and the rest was history.

Mia joined us in the kitchen, bright as a star. She wore a pink jump-suit that fit her like a second skin, a lacy yellow tank-top underneath, and pretty glittery silver sneakers. A pair of beautiful pearls hung on her ears and wrapped around her slender throat.

The instant Eddie laid his eyes on her he nearly choked on his mouthful of breakfast.

Mia shot the two with the full force of her murderous glare, silencing the snickers of male amusement.

"Hey, Ms. Rainbow. I don't believe we've been properly introduced. My name is Eddie Castile."

Mia eyed his outstretched hand with unconcealed disgust, deliberately sidestepped it, and went over to the fridge to retrieve a chilled water bottle. "Yes, I believe I remember you. How could I forget the way your fist felt a split second before I was knocked out cold?" she slammed the door shut with her hip, crystal blue eyes full of attitude. "And the name's Mia. Call me Ms. Rainbow again and I won't be responsible for what happens to you."

And with that little warning being declared, Mia left the room. I couldn't help but laugh loudly. I absolutely adored the woman. I had ever since that day I met her in a Couture store in the late fifties. She had more fire in her soul and heart than anyone I had ever met and didn't take shit from anyone, especially not a broodingly handsome man like Eddie Castile. She was the ideal second in command.

Eddie smiled, face full of amusement and bewilderment. "I like her."

"You like a lot of chicks, brother." was Adrian's genius response. I gulped audibly. His voice did things to my body that I didn't care to mention. It was like hot silk wrapping around my skin, trapping me. It didn't help that he had a thick Romanian accent either.

These training sessions were going to be brutal. I knew it in my gut. I was already feeling sexually frustrated. Where was Mason when I needed him? God, that sounded so bad, but I didn't really give two shits.

"Yeah, I know," Eddie said in amazement, staring down the hallway Mia had just disappeared through. "But I _really_ like her. Really, really like her..."

"Are all of you ready?" Dimitri appeared out of nowhere. He tended to do that a lot. And it was creepy as hell.

"Of course. Just let me get Tasha real quick." I sensed Mia, Sydney, Meredith, and Lissa in the living room, watching—ugh—Keeping up with the Kardashians. Those chicks were obsessed with mindless reality TV. I would have canceled cable by now but it was the only thing that kept the hyenas at bay, so I guess I was stuck with it.

"So what you are implying is that you aren't ready." Dimitri said dryly. "Wonderful."

I promptly gave him two birds. "You're lucky I'm helping you at all."

To my absolute fury, his lips curved and he bared his teeth. It wasn't a smile at all. More of a scowl, and I was almost—_almost_—intimidated by the icy gesture. Not many things put me on edge, but Dimitri Belikov was one of them. I trusted him about as much as one trusted a hungry tiger when they were trapped in the cage with the wild animal.

"No, Ms. Hathaway." the Master vampire said coolly. "You're the lucky one here."

I was about to ask him why in hell he thought that, when my hearing picked up on a very soft sob and a sniffle, followed by heavy boots echoing on the stairs. It was Tasha. In her room. It only took me half a second to get there, and when I did, I didn't bother with knocking, just threw the door wide open. Light from the hallway spilled in and filled the expanse of the room.

My breath caught at the sight before me.

Tasha was crouched in the corner, arms locked around her knees, rocking herself back and forth as she quietly cried. She whimpered in fear at the sound of the door being slammed against the wall and looked up. Blood tears streaked her cheeks, throat, and hands.

"That _bastard!__"_ I whispered hoarsely, then charged the man who was responsible. Pavel was outside, pacing restlessly in front of the porch, murmuring what sounded like prayers in his native tongue as he took puff after puff of a delicious, rich smelling cigar.

"Rose!" I heard a distant cry, but I was too far gone to stop now. Pissing me off was not something you wanted to do. But when you messed with the Guardians, my only family I had left, that was taking it to a whole other level you would regret taking it to. I protected my team like a mama bear protects her cubs—with her life.

"Hey, dickhead. What did you do to her?" I braced one hand on the wood railing of the patio and hopped over to the other side with one great surge. Then I exploded. "What the _fuck_ did you do to her?"

I started to swing, too angry to realize what I was even doing. All I knew was that I was causing him seriously bodily harm, and that was all that mattered.

"You touch her?" I tackled him Pavel's big, hard body to the ground and laid lethal blow after lethal blow to his flawlessly masculine face. "Huh? You like touching her, don't you? You sick fuck!"

Something warm splattered my face and chest, and I realized that it was his blood. Covering me. Getting all over my skin. In my mouth and eyes and ears.

Pavel just lied there on the crimson soaked dirt, staring up at me with earnest glowing gold eyes, taking my wrath, not bothering with fighting back.

Something strong and heavy wrapped around my waist and hauled me off the male vampire.

I growled and continued to fight, swiping and clawing at thin air. "Let me go!" was the last pathetic scream I got out before the iron arms locked around my waist squeezed, cutting off my oxygen supply.

"Rose! Rose! Honey!" Tasha appeared before me and grabbed my face. "Don't look at him, focus on me. Rose! I'm fine. Okay? Everything is fine. Chill out, honey."

She had to talk to me a while before I was able to come back to reality and actually have some control over my body, though I was still wanted to rip Pavel's head off for whatever he'd done to her.

"Can I trust you not to do anything stupid when I release you?" Dimitri asked. Oh. So he'd been the one holding me. No wonder it had been impossible to get away. Goddamn. He smelled good, crisp, minty, inviting.

I focused on the scent, mesmerized, engraved it forever on my brain, and nodded my head. "Yes." I managed to choke out. His bruising grip was crushing my chest, making my lungs ache in protest.

The Master vampire released me then, either trusting me not to lose it again or confident that if I did, he would be able to catch me before I took two steps. I had a feeling it was the latter. Dimitri radiated that kind of arrogance that made you want to sock him in the face and then fuck his brains out. He was all male; there was no doubt about that. His body was huge, powerfully built, and his face was insanely beautiful with his astonishingly chiseled features, cruel, sensual mouth, and endless dark eyes.

Every time I was in his presence, I got the chills from my head all the way to my toes. And it had nothing to do with the temperature. Believe me—blistering waves of heat came off his bronzed skin, hot as fire, scorching my flesh. It was the most exhilarating feeling, and I absolutely resented my weakness.

I stared down at Pavel's battered face, glad that I'd done what damage I could while I'd had the chance. "If you ever think about touching her again…" I lowered my voice until it was a deadly whisper. "I will end you."

Dramatic much? Maybe. But it was the God's honest truth. And Pavel knew that.

After a few heavy movements, he gave a slow nod of his head. "I understand."

* * *

><p>For some stupid reason, I believed training with six male, multiple generation, hot-ass-hell vampires was going to be nothing but fun—I mean, come on, with all that fresh male sweat, shirtless bodies, and the working-out aspect, what could be…well, funner?<p>

My expectations couldn't have been more wrong.

The training was hell on earth times ten.

"_How many miles can you run without winded getting winded?" Dimitri asked, standing in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest. I tried to ignore the bulging biceps. _

If a man knows you're _too_ into him, he turns into a cocky bastard and will stomp all over you like a doormat, _was __Mia__'__s __genius __motto, _Play hard to get. Make him work for it. That's what a true lady does.

"_Forty. Easily." I said, unconsciously mimicking his stance._

"_Hmm." he said with clear disapproval. "That's defiantly not good enough. I'll need you all,"—he swept his eyes over my team—"to be up to a hundred."_

"_A hundred?" We all exclaimed in unison, the incredulous sound that followed was a gush or air, like each of the Guardians had been slammed in the gut with a aluminum bat. _

"_By the end of the week," The Master vampire finished, mouth twitching._

_There were screams of horrors then, but he chose to ignore them._

_After our warm up stretches, we had been put into teams and Dimitri set me with—drum roll please—himself. We were in pairs because, according to him, each of us needed one-on-one training, a mentor to push us in the right direction. Someone to shove us when we felt like quiting. Motivators, basically. _

_The other pairs had gone like this: Lissa and Christian. Sydney and Adrian. Tasha and Ivan. Meredith and Pavel. And Mia and Eddie. And yes, if you're wondering, Mia did manage to punch Eddie in the face twice within five minutes of their training session. Not that it came as a surprise. The woman had the worst temper and Eddie seemed just the type to push her buttons. _

Seven hours—yes, seven!—later, we'd somehow managed to drag ourselves back to the penthouse and inside. Most headed for the freezer right away in a desperate search for a blood bag. I needed one stat, too. But first…

"My windows are fixed," I said happily. "You fixed my windows."

Dimitri gave that careless, elegant shrug of his. "I ruined them. It is only natural that I fix them, Ms. Hathaway."

"Call me Rose." I said in a half attempt to be polite and civil with him. I'd done nothing but curse him out during the whole one-on-one training session.

"I don't think so."

I glared at him. "Fine. I'll just call you _Master_ then. You happy with that?"

When he chuckled and shot me a playful look, I huffed and clenched my fists at my sides. I had meant it to be an insult, but I realized that Dimitri would indeed enjoy hearing me address him as "Master." The man had serious power trip problems; there was no need for me to feed his problem.

"Never mind." I turned around and headed for the freezer. As I drank, I felt the life return to my body, the agonizing muscle tears weaving back together, the twist in my ankle heal, the swelling gone. I still hurt like hell, but it was bearable now. And by the morning, I would be back to full health and feeling like myself again.

Just as I placed my empty glass in the sink, I heard Lissa come into the room. I glanced over my shoulder, feeling like I was spying. Dimitri approached Lissa, spoke in a hushed tone. When she smiled, he leaned down, looked into her eyes, and laid a hand on her shoulder.

Something in me clicked, twisted. The feeling utterly unfamiliar and equally uncomfortable. I pushed it aside, locking it up with my other absurd human emotions.

My best friends slender pale hand reached up, wrapped around his tanned wrist, and she gave a strong squeeze and nodded her hand. I had a feeling he had just expressed his gratitude for what she'd done for his brother Christian.

When he bent to whisper something in her ear, I turned and headed up the stairs for a scalding hot shower, not wanting to intrude on their private conversation anymore than I had.

* * *

><p>I cried out loudly once more, rolling off Mason's naked body and sprawling out like a lazy cat. My body was in bliss once again, as satisfied as I could possibly get with a human.<p>

Mason turned on his side, propping up his head on his elbow. He studied every inch of my face for several moments, and I hated the love and attachment sparkling in his sky-blue eyes. I hated myself for making him feel that way for me. I would never carry the same emotions for him as he did for me. He was in love with me. He enjoyed my company. Made me laugh and feel beautiful.

I only used him for sex.

When he leaned over to kiss me I subtly turned my head and pretended not to notice. That didn't stop him from mounting me and attaching his mouth to my neck, kissing and licking and nibbling.

My back arched and I placed my hands on his back, feeling the smooth muscles flex and loosen as he moved with me in delicious, savoring waves.

"Faster…" I gasped. I wanted sex. He wanted to make love. "_Faster_, Mase. Harder…oh, yeah. That's it."

"Rose…please." Mason lifted his head from the crook of my neck and stared into my eyes. "_Please._"

I shouldn't have done what I had next. It was dangerous. Risky. Unpredictable. And there was the slightest possibility Mason could die. But all my inhibitions were gone and my ecstasy fogged mind took over.

I turned my head to the side, offering myself to him. With heartbreaking gentleness, Mason pushed my thick, wild hair aside, placed a soft kiss to my throat, and sunk his blunt, human teeth into my skin.

I groaned in mind-blowing pleasure at the burst of pain and my grip on him tightened, my nails raking down his back. He began to feed deep, drinking greedily, making little sucking noises that brought me to the brink of pleasure. Moments later we shattered together, our screams untamed and thunderous.

I knew the instant my blood affected Mason, because everything in him changed. He was stronger, possessive, more feral and animalistic. The pulls at my neck became more urgent and desperate, and he drove into my body like his was trying to put a stamp on it.

"Mase…" I protested, planting my palms on his chest and giving a gentle push.

He growled at the interruption, slid his arms under my shoulder blades, bringing me closer to his mouth.

"Oh, no you don't." I shoved against his chest, flipped him over, tearing him away from my vein.

Mason fought me, snarling in full animal mode, desperately trying to get back to my bleeding neck. I continued to talk to him in a soothing voice, having the slightest struggle with holding down his bucking body. The affect of my blood in him was temporarily, merely a rush, the same any human would get from a good high. The feeling would fade in a few hours, growing weaker and weaker as the minutes passed by.

Mason stared up at me with amazement, the biggest grin on his cute face. "That was…stupendous."

I laughed and rolled over again. "Yeah, you didn't do _too_ bad tonight."

"I didn't know I was being judged, Hathaway." Mason's smile was contagious. His fingers slid up my stomach, across the heavy swell of my left breast, brushed feathery light over my puckered nipple.

I gasped, and his face was full of male appreciation and smug satisfaction.

"Yeah…" he murmured. "If I can make a woman like you make a sound like that, I know I am the shit."

We were laughing and exchanging our good old fashioned playful banter when a loud rap sounded at the door.

"Go away!"

Mason gave me a loving kiss before he wrapped a sheet around his naked hips and stood up. "Don't fret, woman." he said airily. "I will be back secondarily."

I launched a pillow at him. "I only need to borrow your dick for a few minutes. Or your mouth."

He winked, unfazed. "Shhh, little one. Stop talking such nonsense. I told you I will be back and equipped to serve your heart and body's needs and wants."

"Asshole." I muttered. He knew how much I hated that nickname. "Make sure you send them away! I don't feel like dealing with anyone right now."

Mason opened the door and spoke with the person out in the hallway. His hard tone surprised me. Mason was nothing but friendliness and happiness wrapped up in a red-headed package.

"Someone wants to talk with you." Mason stalked back in the room, face pinched tight with fury.

"Huh? Oh, God!" I scrambled to cover myself when Dimitri came in, but it was too late, he'd already gotten a pretty good look at the goods.

If the Master vampire appreciated what he saw, he didn't let it show. His face was the perfect picture of control, a blank, emotionless mask.

"I assumed it would take you longer to revover for these kind of activities. But clearly, I was mistaken. You waste no time in jumping back on the wagon, Ms. Hathaway. Literally."

With the tone he was using, he might as well have called me a whore.

"Why are you still here?" I demanded, sitting up and clutching the blanket to my chest. "I thought I told you to leave."

A muscle jumped in his tight jaw. "We were. But I thought I should inform you that while I was heading to my vehicle, Ivan sensed a presence near your front gates."

My eyes bulged. "A Strigoi?"

"That is the conclusion I came to, yes." Dimitri said.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey, guys! Long time no see. Haven't been here in a while & I've been writing again. Interested in hearing from me again? Possible sequels, new stories, updates, etc.? Review & let me know! I miss you guys!


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